Monitoring
Most people who are newly diagnosed diabetics will meet with
a certified diabetes educator or other health practitioners to
discuss a personal plan for monitoring their blood glucose,
physical activity, nutrition, and medication. Frequency of
monitoring will depend on the person’s current health and the
type of diabetes. Blood sugar monitoring can range from one
or two times per week to a few times per day. Blood testing is
done by pricking the tip of a finger and usually occurs before
a meal.
A1C is another type of monitoring that provides important
health information for people with diabetes. A1C is a blood
test that measures the amount of sugar that is stuck to the
hemoglobin found in red blood cells. This test is averaged
over a three-month period 10 . The target A1C for most patients
with type 1 and type 2 diabetes is equal to or less than seven
per cent. Research has shown that if people with diabetes can
lower their A1C by even one per cent, they lower their risk of
experiencing diabetes complications such as cataracts or
heart failure.
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